


One Night in Black Spire

by BatuuPrincess



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Batuu, F/M, Pining, Pre-Relationship, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, Unresolved Sexual Tension, ohnaka transport solutions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2020-12-24 13:30:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21100253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatuuPrincess/pseuds/BatuuPrincess
Summary: Rey couldn’t believe her ears. She continued to look from Poe to Leia and back again, her face screwed up in what she was sure was disbelief.“You’re going to loan out the Millenium Falcon, the only real ship we currently have to our names, to some shady smuggler?” She didn’t even try to hide the incredulity in her voice.It was supposed to be a quick trip. Drop off the Falcon, kill some time, head back to base. A vacation of sorts. One night in Black Spire. What could go wrong?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, if you thought I was going to spend four days out of the eight-days of my Disney vacation at Galaxy's Edge and not write a story set there, then you must not know me very well (lol). I mean, I did name myself after the place. 
> 
> So here it is. This is probably going to be around 4-5 chapters in total, so stay tuned!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Next chapter gets them to Batuu and then the fun begins.

Rey couldn’t believe her ears. She continued to look from Poe to Leia and back again, her face screwed up in what she was sure was disbelief.

“You’re going to loan out the Millenium Falcon, the only real ship we currently have to our names, to some shady smuggler?” She didn’t even try to hide the incredulity in her voice. 

“Hey! We have X-wings,” added Poe, offended that his ragtag fleet of ships wasn’t receiving the respect he thought it deserved.

Rey and Leia answered as one. “X-wings don’t count.”

Ignoring the look of shock on Poe’s face, Leia turned to Rey. “It’s your decision, Rey, Chewie made that perfectly clear. But unfortunately, if we don’t get some credits, and fast, the Millenium Falcon will remain our only ship. And Ohnaka Transport Solutions is a legitimate business.”

Rey and Poe scoffed at the same time. Interesting.

She turned her next questions back to Leia. “If they’re a legitimate business, then wouldn’t they have their own freighters? Why would they need the most recognizable smuggling vessel in the galaxy?”

Poe barked out a laugh. “She’s got you there, General.”

With a sigh, Leia rolled her eyes, leaning heavily on the cane she relied on more and more these days. “Fine. He’s a bit of pirate, and I’ve decided not to ask what exactly he needs the Falcon for, but we can’t afford to be picky about allies at a time like this. Don’t look at me like that, desperate times call for desperate measures. And Hondo pays surprisingly well.”

“And you?” Rey had spotted Chewie standing in the back of the room with his arms crossed. “What do you have to say about this?”

Chewie shrugged, chuffing out a response. 

“You, too? Isn’t anybody else worried about this?”

“I had some reservations.” Rose stepped forward, hand raised, her new Lieutenant’s badge shining in the overheads. “Specifically about unknowns messing around the Falcon. She is one particular ship. But General Organa is right. We’re not even going to able to afford the next round of repairs - for the X-wings or the Falcon - if we don’t get some credits.”

That… made sense. Rey could admit defeat when it was staring her in the face.

“Fine, but I’m going with you guys. I want to check out this Ohnaka character myself.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” replied Leia, sensing her impending victory. “You and Poe can take the Falcon to Black Spire Outpost on Batuu. Hondo shouldn’t need her for more than a cycle, so enjoy the vacation day. You leave at 0600 tomorrow. Dismissed.”

Poe was out the door before the word was even finished, Rey following a second later.

She caught up with him just outside the hangar. “Vacation? What does she mean, vacation?” 

It had been a little over four months since the Resistance made their last stand at Crait. Having retreated to an old Rebel base on Yavin 4, Poe’s homeworld, they were currently trying to rebuild, a proposition made all the more complicated by their lack of credits and allies.

Poe’s hand rubbed at the back of his neck as they continued to walk through the nearly empty hangar bay and out into the Yavin evening. “After we drop the Falcon at Ohnaka’s, we have a day of R&R before he returns it. You know, time to take in the sights, enjoy the local watering hole, that type of thing.”

“Shouldn’t we be doing something useful? Spying on someone or finding some intelligence vital to the Resistance.”

“As much as I love your enthusiasm, I highly doubt we’d find anything vital to the Resistance on Black Spire. It’s a little too remote for the First Order’s interest.” Poe fixed her with one of his smiles, eyes drooping just a little in the dying light. 

Gods, he looked tired. In the months since their defeat on Crait, they’d all been working round the clock to try to build the Resistance back into a legitimate force, though none harder than Poe. Rey suspected it had something to do with the mutiny she’d heard whispers about, but figured it would be impolite to ask. And Finn told her she had no manners.

Belatedly, she realized she’d been tuning out Poe.

“... base up there, so we can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the trip.” 

“So we just… don’t do anything?”

“Yeah, that’s the definition of a vacation.” She watched that easy smile slide off his face as the realization hit. “Ohhhh.”

Her eyes examined a particularly interesting pebble on the ground in front of her while she stifled the instinct to run and hide. It was her default setting whenever the conversation took a turn towards her former life, but she was working on it.

“Yeah, personal days weren’t really a thing on Jakku. You either worked or you starved. It was your choice, though.”

She could have chosen a softer way to say that, one that wouldn’t leave Poe with that line between his brows, but the words matched the feeling, that hollowed out pain that came every day as you scraped together enough to earn even a quarter portion. It was the memory of that feeling that left her hoarding what she could of the ridiculously large rations they were given three times daily here. The bread rolls they served with dinner seemed to last forever. The veg, not so much.

“Shit,” he said, his eyes fluttering closed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

There were a few things that Rey had learned about Poe Dameron since joining the Resistance. First was that despite the way junior officers and recruits looked at him, he was in no way perfect. In fact, he made mistakes all the time, which led to the second thing she’d learned about Poe: he always owned up to those mistakes.

“I know. It’s fine.” They had reached the stretch of duracrete where the Falcon was parked. “This is me.”

“Let me make it up to you. Dad’s making pepian tonight, and I know he’d love to see you.”

It was a sweet gesture, and they _ had _missed dinner in the mess thanks to that meeting, but Rey knew a pity offer when she saw it. 

And Poe must have pitied her a lot. He was always offering to help with the Falcon or trying to get her to Kes’s house for a home cooked meal or asking if she wanted company on one of her walks or sitting next to her in meetings. It was equal parts exhausting and embarrassing.

“Thanks, but I should get her ready for tomorrow.” She gestured toward the ship. “Can’t have the old girl dying in the middle of hyperspace.”

“Well, then let me help you. It’ll be both our asses if something happens.” Poe smiled, all white teeth, the front two just uneven enough to be endearing.

She waved him off. “No, no. Kes will be waiting for you. I’ve got it.” Not giving him any room to protest, she turned and walked up the lowered ramp of the Falcon, leaving him alone in the clearing.

Inside, Rey leaned against the yellowed wall just to the left of the entry, releasing a shaky breath. That was close.

It wasn’t that she was hiding it, per se, just that nobody in the Resistance, least of all Poe Dameron, knew that she was living on the Millennium Falcon.

“Are you living on the Falcon?” 

Rey jumped, not expecting to hear Rose’s voice coming from the main hold. Her head cracked against the wall, pain rocketing through her skull faster than a ship jumping into hyperspace.

“Kriff, Rose! What are you doing here?” She rubbed the back of her head. “Wait a sec, how did you beat me? We were in the same meeting.”

“You mentioned something about a slight hesitation before jumping to lightspeed the last time you took her out, so I came out here to see if I could help.” Rose crossed her arms, leaning against the dejarik table. “But when I got here, you and Captain Obvious were so engrossed outside, I figured I’d just get started. And when I went looking for a pilex driver, I found this.”

She held up a small cache of Rey’s personal belongings, all excusable as being left here by accident with the major exception being the small stack of clean underwear Rose was waving about.

Rey closed the distance, snatching her undergarments from Rose’s hand. “That’s none of your business.” Crossing the small room, she found an empty (and cleanish) drawer to stuff them in. “And Poe’s back up to Commander now.”

Rose looked at her for a long second before dropping it. “Whatever. What’s going on? I know they gave you a room.”

Oh, she had been assigned quarters - an officer’s single, in fact - just like the rest of them. And it was nice, too. The bed, desk, and wardrobe making up more furniture than she had owned in her entire life.

Truth be told, she missed those early days when they were all piled into Kes’s house, tiptoeing over sleeping bodies just to get a cup of caf in the morning. When she’d slept side-by-side with Finn and Poe on the floor of Poe’s childhood bedroom, the beds all reserved for the old or injured. It was the first time she ever felt like part of a family, when they were all crammed and bickering over centimeters of floorspace, the easy camaraderie borne of pure necessity. 

To go from that to her sterile room on base had been more of a shock than she was expecting. Used to the quiet solitude of her walker, the base was interminable, noisy with the hustle and bustle of the Resistance and yet somehow leaving her more lonely than she'd ever been on Jakku. She’d spent the better part of a week tossing and turning in that room, feeling like the walls were closing in on her, before she decamped to the Falcon, earning her first full night of sleep in what felt like forever. Since then, she’d never looked back.

Plus, out here, at least she had the porgs to keep her company.

Speaking of, she needed to feed the little mongrels before they started in on the wiring again.

Ignoring Rose’s continued scowls, she made her way to the drawer (this one a little more than cleanish) where she kept the leftover rolls, selecting one of the rock-hard specimens all the way at the bottom. For some reason, the porgs preferred their bread stale, the harder, the better.

Tearing the roll into pieces, she spread it around the various nests scattered throughout the Falcon, the strange bird-like creatures starting to emerge from hiding. 

Once the porgs were fed and there was nothing left to occupy her, Rey finally turned back to Rose.

Rey took a deep breath. “I can’t sleep in there,” she started, turning away from the look of pity that was surely crossing Rose’s face. The poor scavenger girl and her weird habits. “The base is too noisy, and my room’s too quiet, and it’s just too much.”

The mechanic’s face had softened, but not quite into pity. “Listen, nobody’s gonna be mad about you sleeping out here. I’m just worried. What if somebody came looking for you in the middle of the night and found an empty room?” Rose smiled. “Everyone would be in a panic looking for the lost Jedi.”

Rey blinked in confusion. No one had ever worried about her before. In fact, no one had ever cared who she was or where she slept or whether she lived or died. She supposed it was nice, in it’s own way.

“I didn’t think of that,” she admitted. 

“I know. Finn’s the same way,” said Rose, with a roll of her eyes. She froze, cheeks taking on a rosy hue as if just realizing what she said.

Rey liked Rose, quite a bit if she was being honest, but there was always something that stopped them just short of becoming friends. And his name was Finn.

Rose tended to tiptoe around her under some misguided impression that she still had feelings for Finn. Or that she’d ever had feelings for Finn. Granted, Rey _ did _have feelings for Finn, they just weren’t the same feelings that Rose had for Finn. 

She sighed internally, her head starting to throb.

Honestly, it had been so much easier to navigate the social customs on Jakku that Rey sometimes found herself dreaming of those simpler times. When her standing depended solely on her abilities and she was only as good as her next find. When things were straightforward and the lies were easy to detect. When she didn’t get taken in by a man with a sob story and talks of a bond and nearly let him destroy everything she had come to care about.

No, things were much more complicated here, in ways Rey didn’t always understand. Here, everything she did or said affected the people around her. Her friends. Even the idea of friends was new. If someone had told Rey five months ago that people existed who only wanted the best for you without anything real in return, she would have dismissed it as a lie. 

But now she had a whole group of people who worried about her and wanted to make sure she was ok. Whatever that meant. Finn, Rose, Chewie, Leia, even Poe could be counted among that group, though there was something slightly different about the way she felt for the pilot that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

And don’t even get her started on the way everyone seemed to pair off around here. But that was a worry for another time. Right now, she needed to make a friend.

“You know, I’m really glad Finn met you,” she said, watching Rose’s wary look turn into a smile. “And I’m glad I met you, too.”

Rose reached out to give Rey’s hand a squeeze. “Same, Rey. Now, let’s figure out what’s making that hyperdrive hesitate before you end up stalling out halfway to Batuu.” She was already down the hall that lead to the hyperdrive access, her voice fading with every step. “Did you miss dinner, too? I heard…”

Rey smiled to herself. Yeah, she might like this friend thing after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey settle in for the trip to Batuu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The very last of my Damerey Week goodies. Thanks to everyone who read and commented and kudosed. It was amazing to see so much goodness in the tag over the past few days. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to sleep for a week.

Rey made sure that she was up long before the 0600 departure, enough time to do one final sweep and make sure she hadn’t left any more underwear laying around. Then she’d taken her bag, the one she’d brought with her to Ahch-To, and packed it for show, burying the rest of her small collection of belongings deep in a drawer Poe would never think to look in. And then casually piled a stack of crates in front of it for good measure.

She was just debating whether or not the pile looked natural enough when Poe poked his head into the main hold.

“There you are,” he said, walking through the room to drop his bag on the table. “I knocked on your door, but you must have already left.” He turned, hitting her with the full weight of his smile. “I was trying to beat you here.”

Something that felt a whole hell of a lot like rathtar tentacles fluttered in her chest at the way his warm, brown eyes focused on nothing but her, heat rising up her neck. “And why is that?”

“You know, help you out, run some of those pre-flight checks…”

Rey cocked her head, instantly seeing through him. “You just wanted some alone time on the Falcon.”

“Yeah, I just wanted some alone time on the Falcon.”

She laughed, trying not to roll her eyes. He may have been second in command these days, but once a pilot, always a pilot. 

“All you had to do was ask. Come on.” She led him through the corridor, pausing only to hit the door release. 

She wasn’t much to look at like this, dark and silent in the early morning sun. Yet, even like this, there was something about the old girl, an understated beauty in the scuffed controls and cracked leather seats that new ships couldn’t touch.

Leaving Poe to stare open mouthed at the threshold, Rey strode forward to the controls, hitting the combination of switches and toggles that she knew by heart.

The Millennium Falcon came to life as if waking from a long slumber, slowly then all at once, the purr of the systems coming online now as familiar to Rey as her own heartbeat.

One by one the panels lit up until the whole cockpit was ablaze in blinking, kinetic light. There were at least three red ones they’d need to deal with before takeoff, but that was a worry for later. 

She turned back to Poe.

His face held that same child-like wonder everyone got their first time on the Falcon. He had been in here of course, they all had at one point or another during that mad dash away from Crait. But Rey could appreciate Poe wanting to take his time now that they weren’t running for their lives, always ten seconds away from complete disaster.

“I’ll give you two a minute,” she said, making her way out of the cockpit. She touched his shoulder on the way out, the last-second decision so unlike her she nearly froze in shock. 

Sheer willpower propelled her the rest of the way out of the cockpit and down the hall, her breath coming in short bursts. What had she been thinking? By the time she found herself back in the main hold, she had no recollection of why she’d come here in the first place.

With a shake of her head, she decided to check that the cargo was secure one last time (they weren’t showing up at Black Spire Outpost completely empty-handed), eyes falling on one of the empty porg nests nestled among the cargo.

She’d spent half the night after Rose left rounding the little beasts up from every hidey hole they’d chewed in the Falcon, showing up at Chewie’s door with an arm full of squawking birds well past midnight. He’d been reluctant, but eventually agreed to watch them while she was off-planet, Rey not wanting to leave them at the mercy of this Hondo and his crew. Who knew what these pirates would view as food?

“Hey, Rey?” Poe’s head poked out of the hall. “We’d better get going if we want to hit our rendezvous.” 

Rey nodded, following him back to the cockpit. 

She was half-expecting a mad dash to the pilot’s seat, elbows and laughter and playful shoving as they each fought for the right to fly, but Poe dropped into the co-pilot’s chair without complaint. Not that she’d known him before Crait, but the way Finn and Rose spoke of Poe, brash and daring and cocky, he seemed like a completely different person from the one she’d met after it all fell apart. 

The man she knew was quiet, contemplative, measured. A Leia Organa in training. Though every once in a while she caught a spark of that other man, the one who was quick to joke and bold in ways she could only ever hope to be.

So she settled into her seat, allowing the certainty she always felt in this position to wash over her. Like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

Not bothering to hide the smile that crept across her face, she turned to Poe. “Want to take her out?”

“Like you even need to ask,” he said, his smile wide in a flash of who he used to be. 

He had them up and out of the atmosphere in no time, hand hesitating slightly over the lever that would put them in hyperspace.

Rey cocked her head at him.

“I just-” he said, a sheepish grin on his face. “I just want to savor it, you know?”

Heat bloomed in her chest, recognition of a kindred spirit. “Yeah, I know.”

With a deep breath, he pulled the lever, the Falcon not hesitating as it made the jump. The swirling blue of hyperspace filled the viewport, that strange place between the stars.

Rey turned to Poe. “Was it everything you imagined?”

He looked wistful for a second, like he could see something she couldn’t as the galaxy spun around them. “And more.”

There it was again, a blink and you miss it glimpse of the Poe Dameron of before.

Rey leaned back in her seat, intending to get comfortable. It would be hours before they dropped out of hyperspace in the Trilon Sector, and hours more until they made it to Batuu on sublight power alone. She understood the draw of a planet this far off the usual hyperlane routes, but damn did it make for a tedious trip.

Poe seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “I’m gonna grab some caf. You want anything?”

“Caf sounds good,” she replied, stretching a bit. She’d been up far later than she’d planned, Rose sticking around after their scavenged dinner to help her name all of the porgs before she passed them off to Chewie. Already, she could feel her eyes growing heavy in the lull of hyperspace.

“One cream, three sugars?”

She blinked up at him, trying to remember when he’d learned how she took her caf and coming up blank. “Yeah.”

With a smile, he was gone, leaving Rey to her thoughts and the expanse of the galaxy spread out before her.

Poe hit the button on the Falcon’s ancient caf machine and waited. Like most things on this ship, it took a few seconds to get started and wouldn’t actually do anything without having a long whinge about it first, but once it did, the thing brewed a cup strong enough to put hair on your chest.

Gods he loved this old hunk of junk.

It was a fluff assignment and he knew it, mandatory R&R disguised as a mission. The General’s way of telling him to take it easy - or else. 

He took a long sip of the scalding black caf, savoring the acidic burn as it slid all the way down to his belly. Putting a fresh cup under the spout, he hit the button again.

Leia - General Organa - just didn’t want him underfoot. There was no doubt in his mind that he should be mad about it. He was second in command, godsdamnit. 

He was also too tired to fight it.

So he’d been a good little boy and let himself be shipped off to this backwater planet on a fake mission, when he could have been flying with Black Squadron, saving lives and recruiting allies for the Resistance. Only Rey seemed oblivious to the slight, somehow fighting her way on to his non-mission. General Organa certainly didn’t plan for that.

Rey. She was something else. From the second that cavern had opened up in Crait and he’d seen her standing there amongst the floating rocks, he’d known there was something about her. Something special. But hard as he tried, he couldn’t seem to figure her out. 

They got along alright. In fact, if he got her going on engine repair tactics or the pros and cons of A-wings versus X-wings, they could talk for hours. And yet, every time he thought they were getting closer, she pulled away. It was the same with everyone, save Finn.

Though it probably didn’t help that he always seemed to end up with his foot in his mouth when he spoke to her. 

Last night hadn’t even been the worst of it. It was too easy to forget where Rey came from, what she’d been through as a child, when she was smiling and laughing and joking just like anyone else. Then she’d say something that would smack him in the face with it, his chest pulling tight at the loneliness and isolation in her words.

Of course she’d turned down his invitation to come have dinner with his dad. 

He grabbed the steaming cup of caf from the dispenser, adding cream and sugar to Rey’s liking. The look she’d given him when he’d remembered had been only slightly heartbreaking, that same look she got anytime someone did something nice for her. Like she was always surprised when you weren’t trying to take advantage of her. He decided not to think about why that was.

A cup of caf in each hand, he made his way back through the winding halls of the ship and into the cockpit only to be met by Rey’s even snores.

She had fallen asleep sitting up, her head cocked at an angle that would surely leave a kink. And she was loud, the noise coming from her impressive for a woman that size. He bit his lip to stifle a laugh as she snorted loud enough to wake herself for a second before falling back into her earlier steady rhythm. Behold the majestic Jedi who snores like a freight pilot.

Setting her cup on a flat console, he settled in for the long haul. The trip should have taken nearly a standard day, but their contact down on Batuu had sent an updated flight path that would take them straight to the planet itself. But that would be hours from now. For now, he’d have to content himself with the stars.

He let the swirling blue and black lull him into tranquility. He supposed it was a form of meditation, the way he let his mind wander to the far reaches of space. There had been a day not long ago when Poe had been able to sleep any where, any way. On the ground? No problem. Sitting up? Easy. Old cot? He’s had worse. Standing? Not exactly easy, but it happened once or twice. These days, even the comfort of a bed didn’t guarantee sleep. Not when the ghosts of his past came to visit every time he closed his eyes.

Sneaking a glance at Rey’s sleeping form, he wished he was still that man. 

He ran a hand through his hair, mussing up the curls he’d spent half an hour perfecting that morning. The attention to detail felt ridiculous now.

There had been flashes of him, the Original Poe Dameron, here and there. Hell, when Rey let him take them up just a few minutes ago, he’d felt more like himself than he had in ages. With his hand on the stick (and his head firmly in the cockpit), he’d felt that old familiar certainty creep back in. That he was exactly where he was supposed to be, doing what he’d been born to do. 

That certainty had been the status quo back before the galaxy decided to teach him a lesson, but lately… Well, lately things were different.

He took another sip of caf.

Maybe Leia had been right. Maybe he needed the time away from the base and the Resistance and the fight to gain a little perspective. If he was being honest, he already felt a little better. 

Next to him, Rey slept on, oblivious to his deep thoughts. She looked so at home in the pilot’s seat, like the Falcon had just been waiting for her all this time. He was 99% sure she was living by herself on the ship, but she seemed pretty dead set on keeping it from him, so he wasn’t about to bring it up. Though, if Rey was planning on helping with any intelligence work, she might want to brush up on her stealth skills. She certainly wasn’t fooling anybody.

Though he could appreciate why she’d do it. Life on base was chaotic at best, and for someone who spent most of her life alone, he imagined it felt like hell itself. Even Poe had been driven off base more than once recently, preferring to spend the night at his dad’s place rather than spending another night holed up in his quarters, avoiding his fellow rebels. It was just easier that way.

With only Rey’s snores to keep him company, it was too quiet on the ship. Even the porgs had been evicted for this particular mission. Not that Poe was partial to them. He was just looking for company, even if it was of the barely-sentient variety.

Truth be told, he missed the comforting binary of his droid. But Leia was right. BB-8 was too recognizable these days. His presence combined with that of the Millennium Falcon would be a dead giveaway for anyone looking to make a few quick credits. 

Poe finished the caf in one swallow, leaning back in the co-pilot’s seat. Three more hours until they hit the Trilon Sector. Might as well get comfortable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, this is probably going to be a little longer than I was initially expecting (I mean, we haven't even hit Batuu yet). But I hope you join me for the ride!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey land on Batuu. Later, a familiar face shows up to guide them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally on Batuu! But we are not quite at the bed point of this story (this got away from me, but it's coming I swear). Thanks for reading!

Rey blinked, the world a swirling mess of blue as she tried to bring it in focus. She sat up, the muscles in her neck protesting the movement.

“Morning, Sunshine,” came Poe’s voice from the seat next to her. “And just in time. I was about to take us out of hyperspace.”

“How long was I out?” she asked, turning toward him. The crick in her neck practically answered the question for her.

“Couple hours. Sorry, I’m pretty sure your caf’s cold.”

That much was true, she could smell it from here. “Nevermind, let’s get this show on the road.”

“Dropping out of hyperspace now.” He hit a few buttons, the stars coming into focus around them as the Falcon responded instantly. Rey made a mental note to tell Rose she was right, it had been that loose wire in one of the inertial dampeners giving them all that trouble.

A planet of alternating blues and greens grew closer in the viewport, Rey turning to Poe. “I thought you couldn’t drop out of hyperspace anywhere near Batuu?”

“I rejiggered the flightpath a bit thanks to some intel from our contact,” he said with a wink, turning back to the controls. 

Those rathtars were back with a vengeance, wreaking havoc on her stomach, but Rey pushed the feeling down.

They had both agreed it would be wise to meet with this Hondo character before handing over the most valuable (read: only) ship in their fleet, so Poe took them in low and slow, setting down in a small clearing just outside the main settlement. With two experienced pilots, the shutdown procedures were done in no time, barely five minutes passing before they were ready to hit the outpost.

Bag in hand, Rey lowered the ramp, a wall of heat hitting her smack in the face.

As she made her way onto the planet, the air clung to her exposed skin like a warm breath, growing thicker in her lungs with every inhale. Sweat gathered under her arms and slid down her back, her usual layers proving oppressive almost immediately.

Behind her, Poe let out a low whistle as he stepped out of the Falcon. “Damn, I guess I won’t be needing this.” He shrugged out of his jacket, draping it over his bag. 

Rey couldn’t help but envy the ease with which he shed his layers, watching as he rolled up his sleeves with practiced hands to reveal the tanned forearms underneath. Her own layers felt more permanent, an armor to protect her against the sand and sun and anything else that dared get in her way. Or at least, they had on Jakku. Now, they kept her from being exposed in a different way, giving her a slight distance from those around her. 

“Ready?” he asked, quickly finishing the other arm. 

She nodded, following him into the dense forest. It was a short walk, but they were both soaked by the time they made it to the carved stone passageway that marked the border of Black Spire Outpost, Poe’s thin cream shirt sticking to his torso in fascinating ways.

_ Now is not the time_, she reminded herself, focusing instead on the tunnel and the temporary cool of its shade. Strange patterns marked the walls, Rey running a hand over the striations.

“Looks like somebody either blasted their way in or out,” said Poe, practically reading her mind.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I thought you said this place didn’t see much action.”

He was about to answer when the passage spit them out into a wide track of hard-packed dirt, Rey squinting in the sudden brightness. Trees and huge rock formations lined either side of the path, the sounds of beings and droids and ships drifting from somewhere deeper in the outpost drawing them in.

When they rounded a bend, Poe took off across the clearing as if in a trance, leaving Rey to scan the area for whatever caught his eye.

There, half-hidden behind a rock pile, was a blue and white T-70 X-wing fighter. 

It was in good shape, too, far better than any of the shabby T-65s they had salvaged from the old Rebel base on Yavin. Sure, there was a little carbon scoring on the body and a sizeable blaster mark on the nose cone, but all in all it was in excellent condition. And unlike their own fledgling fleet, the damn thing probably could make it through the start-up procedures without blowing up.

“She’s a beauty,” said Poe as she came up behind him.

“Think she’s for sale?”

Poe sighed, the sound heavy to her ears. “Even if she was, there’s no way we’d get the credits.” With a final look of longing, he tore his eyes from the ship. “Come on, Sunshine. I don’t want to be late for the meeting with Ohnaka.”

There it was again, that name, Sunshine. But there wasn't a right time to ask about it as she followed him into the bustling center, letting herself really look around for the first time since they’d landed.

Beings of every shape, size, and species wandered through the bustling space port, most in the layered outfits of muted colors that seemed to be the norm around here. It seemed like Rey would fit in nicely here, though she supposed the fabric she generally used to drape across her body would be better used as a shawl or head scarf based on the styles she saw. 

There was almost too much to look at as Poe lead her into a covered marketplace teeming with activity, merchants calling their wares, old friends greeting one another with a cheerful "bright suns!", children running and laughing and chasing each other through the center aisle. Lanterns and lamps hung from wires strung across the aisle, interspersed between wide swaths of fabric that acted as a sort of roof. Stalls lined the arcade on either side, goods spilling into the walkway. She wanted nothing more than to stop and look at each and every item for sale, but they had a deal to make. According to Poe, there’d be time for all this later.

So she reluctantly tore her eyes from the sleeping Loth cat outside one of the shops and followed Poe out the back of the market. 

The scent of cooking meat hit her nose about the same time she noticed the podracer. 

Though podracing was technically outlawed throughout the galaxy, some of the rougher, more remote planets still partook in the sport. She had always loved hearing the travelers that came through Niima talk of the races - the breakneck speed of the pods, the various modifications on the engines, the death defying stunts to get ahead. Having never seen one, she’d had to satisfy herself with her own imagination. Until now.

She stopped dead, allowing herself to take in the single blue and white engine suspended from the ceiling. It was a thing of beauty. Highly modified by the looks of it, she leaned over the railing to try to get a better look at the couplings.

A blast of heat had her jumping back from the railing, the engine releasing a burst of flame. 

“There you are,” came Poe’s voice from the other side of the shop. He must have realized she wasn’t with him and doubled back. “Come on, we’re gonna be late.”

“Look Poe, it’s an honest to gods podracer engine! And it’s in working order!” She paused, taking in the odd look on his face. “How are you not more excited about this? You’re a pilot!”

Poe rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, had an unfortunate run-in with one of these when I was a kid. Kind of lost the shine for me.” He grabbed her arm, gently dragging her toward the exit. “Listen, I promise we’ll come back after we get things squared away with Ohnaka. Hells, I’ll even buy you some of the meat that thing’s roasting, but we’ve got to go.”

“They’re cooking with the podracer engine?” She craned her neck even as Poe continued to pull her out the door, noticing the spit and the smelting droid turning it for the first time.

But Poe was on a mission, so with a final wistful look, Rey let herself be propelled out of the shop and into the blazing sunlight. 

______

They had barely stepped foot into the large hangar cut into the spire when a brown, leathery, weequay was upon them. _ Good to know we’re being followed_, thought Poe, drily.

“Hello, hello my friends. I am Hondo Ohnaka and welcome to Ohnaka transport solutions.” The former pirate spoke with an accent, gesturing wildly with each word. Next to him, Rey was trying to look anywhere but at the horns lining his jaw or his thick ropes of hair that clicked together when he moved, her eyes wide. 

But Poe wasn’t having it. He’d dealt with enough like Ohnaka over the years to not be impressed by the theatrics. “Cut the crap Ohnaka. We’re not some rubes you’re just recruiting straight off the street. You know why we’re here.”

The over-the-top demeanor didn’t change in the least at Poe’s words. “Ah, yes. General Organa and I made a deal. I procure some much-needed coaxium for your fleet, and you let me use the Millennium Falcon for one day. No questions asked.”

Their fleet? Poe tried not to chuckle. Apparently, word didn’t travel all that far after all.

“Speaking of, where is that magnificent hunk of junk?” Hondo gave an exaggerated look around the hangar, as if they were just hiding the ship under a cloak or cowl.

“We have it in a secure location,” snapped Rey, obviously taking offense on behalf of her ship. He tried to give her a warning look, but couldn’t catch her eye. There was a thin line between making and breaking a deal like this, and her tone was approaching that breaking point. “The Falcon is my ship, and I’ll bring it around once I’m assured I’ll be getting it back in once piece.”

Hondo eyed her, though if it was appreciatively or warily was anybody’s guess. “She speaks! I’ve heard about you, little Jedi.” Rey stiffened beside him at the condescension. “But a deal’s a deal. General Organa promised no questions asked.”

“I’m not General Organa,” said Rey, her smile more a show of teeth than anything else.

Poe held his breath as the weequay went silent. They needed that coaxium and if Ohnaka pulled out, they were done for. Then:

“Bahahahaha, that is quite true! I admire your tenacity. As such, I will assure you: no harm will come to your ship. A quick trip to Corellia and she’ll be all yours again, good as new.” He paused, letting out another laugh. “Well, maybe not new. But definitely in the same or comparable condition.”

Rey smiled at the pirate, this time for real. She stuck out a hand. “We have a deal.”

“Excellent, excellent. Just bring her around and we’ll be off. I have no doubt you have important business elsewhere in the outpost.” He gave his best approximation of a smirk as he locked eyes with Poe. “I’ll be waiting.”

Poe could recognize a dismissal when he heard it, grabbing Rey’s arm and dragging her back into the heat before she said something that completely wrecked the deal. Dark clouds gathered overhead, an afternoon storm rapidly approaching. He waited until they were safely lost in the crowd just outside the marketplace before turning on her.

“What the hell was that?” he asked, not bothering to hide his anger. The first drops of rain hit his forehead. “You could have lost us that coaxium.”

She tugged her arm out of his grip, the smile dying on her lips. “I was just following your lead. You said worse to him!”

“There’s a difference between cutting to the chase and breaking a deal he made with the General.” He shook his head. “You’re lucky Hondo found you amusing.”

Color appeared high on her cheeks, eyes narrowing as she turned that glare on him. “Well that’s condescending. You do realize I spent most of my life dealing with his type or worse. I literally had to bargain for every meal. I can handle a single pirate with a superiority complex.”

That all too familiar guilt kicked him in the stomach. Would he ever make it through a day without offending her? The answer to that seemed to be a decisive 'no.'

“Kriff, Rey. I’m sorry. I just-” He scrubbed a hand over his face. This was supposed to be a vacation. So why was he feeling anything but relaxed? “I can’t screw something else like this up after…” he trailed off, unable to say the word.

But Rey got the gist, her face softening at the realization. “Your mutiny.”

“Don’t forget the Dreadnaught.” The words felt like a lead rock in his gut. “I refuse to fail the Resistance like that again.”

“Well, when you put it like that.”

They stood there simply staring at each other, neither quite sure what to say, when the rain started to fall in earnest, his thin shirt sticking to his chest and shoulders. Rey pulled them under one of the awnings before the damn thing became completely see-through. Despite the heat, he shrugged his jacket back on. There was no reason all of Black Spire Outpost needed to see his nipples.

He leaned back against the warm, stone building behind him, content to simply enjoy the little bubble of dry they’d carved out for themselves. Fellow travelers dashed across cobblestone path, seeking shelter from the downpour. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, the boom of thunder following hot on its tail.

Poe looked over to find Rey watching the storm with a wide-eyed fascination, her pretty face more open and relaxed than he’d ever seen it. At least when she was awake. Not that he’d been watching her sleep. Because that would have been weird.

She couldn’t hide her smile as she watched a group of small children jump in a nearby puddle, eyes sparkling even in the half-light of the storm. It was the same look she had in the marketplace earlier, when he’d practically forced her to run through it in his haste to get to Hondo. That just wouldn’t do.

“Hey, why don’t we kill some time at the market while we wait for this storm to pass,” he said, nodding toward the entrance. “Bet we can make a run for it.”

The look of unbridled joy that bloomed on her face left him feeling more brave than he had in months. 

“On three,” he said, reaching for her hand. His heart threatened to beat out of his chest as his warm hand met her cool one, but by some miracle she didn’t pull away. “One.” Deep breaths, Dameron. Deep breaths. “Two.” He gave her hand a little squeeze. “Three!”

Laughter bubbled up from Rey as he tugged her toward the covered marketplace, their boots splashing across the stone-paved path. There was a breathless moment when lightning lit up the sky again, but by the time thunder shook the ground beneath their feet they had already taken shelter under one of the awnings.

When he looked up, they were standing closer than he realized, practically chest to chest as the earlier laughter died on their lips. A long strand of hair had come loose from her standard three buns, plastered to her forehead thanks to the rain. Maybe it the memory of how she froze when she touched his shoulder on the Falcon or maybe it was that brand new self-doubt that haunted his every decision these days, but something held him back from closing that distance, brushing those strands back where they belonged.

A soft smile played across Rey’s lips as her eyes dipped down, Poe shocked to find her hand still in his. He dropped it immediately, unable to stop the heat from rising to his face. 

But Rey was already gone, examining the trinkets and small carvings that lined the shelves of the stall with a concentration normally reserved for battle plans or dogfights. He followed her from stall to stall, Rey’s attention jumping from figurines to brightly colored scarves to fragrant baskets of spices (the cooking variety, of course) at a frankly alarming rate. 

A low growl had them crossing the aisle into the creature stall, Rey going straight to a small grouping of cages in the back.

“They have porgs!” she said, slipping a finger between the bars. Like most living things, they immediately took to Rey, cooing and rubbing up against her hand. 

Poe laughed. “Yeah, so do we. I doubt the Falcon could handle anymore.”

“But they look so lonely.” She suddenly turned to him, face creased in worry. “You don’t think they eat them here, do you?”

Poe shook his head. He’d made one off-hand comment a month ago - and for the record, they did look delicious - and Rey hadn't trusted him alone with the birds since. “Nah, they’d definitely be in a different shop if that were the case.” 

A screeching cackle from the opposite corner drew Rey’s attention, much to Poe’s horror. She followed the sound, her head cocked in that inquisitive way she had about everything these days. 

“I wouldn’t get too close if I were you,” he warned, a shiver going up his spine. “Those things are the dark side incarnate.”

She noted the way he backed against the opposite wall, the wary look on his face. An impish smile played at her lips.“You don’t mean to tell me that Poe Dameron, Resistance hero and ace pilot, Mr. I Can Fly Anything, is afraid of a little Kowakian Monkey Lizard?” Oh, she was clearly enjoying this.

“Not a huge fan of monkeys in general, but I genuinely hate those things.” Another cackle had him edging his way out of the stall. “You know, I think the rain stopped. We should probably drop off the supplies at the base and get the Falcon to Hondo.”

He wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all Rey, but she didn’t call him on it as she followed him out of the stall and down the street. The suns had returned in full force, leaving the pavement to steam after the rain. 

One wrong turn later, they found themselves in a dimly lit alley, the suns not quite reaching between the structures on either side. There wasn’t a soul around, everything silent except for a constant drip, drip, drip from somewhere nearby.

“Uh, Poe? I think we missed the path.”

He was about to answer when a gruff voice echoed from one end of the alley. 

“You shouldn’t be down here.”

Poe whirled toward the sound, blaster raised and ready. Next to him, Rey had her own blaster out, a smaller model that he knew to be no less deadly. Especially with that aim of hers.

The figure took a step forward, something about them familiar. It took another step until they came into focus.

Poe squinted, but it was Rey who spoke first. “Vi?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vi brings Poe and Rey to the Resistance base, and there's only one bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, nobody told Vi that Rey was coming so there was only one bed. I don't make the rules. Enjoy!

“Rey?” came Vi Moradi’s voice from beneath the scarf. It was wrapped around her head in such a way that you could barely make out her features.

Rey swatted at Poe’s arm. “You didn’t tell me our contact here was Vi!” She moved toward the other end of the alley where Vi was slowly unwrapping the scarf, holstering her blaster as she went.

“I didn’t realize you two knew each other,” replied Poe, gingerly rubbing the spot she’d hit. He put his own blaster away. 

Rey struggled not to roll her eyes. “Of course I know her. There were like 20 of us those first few days. How could I miss her?” 

Vi had been with the rest of the Resistance on Crait, joining them on Yavin 4 before getting dispatched by Leia on some super secret mission. Which apparently had been setting up a base here on Batuu. 

Rey had instantly taken to slightly older woman, with her wide array of wigs (currently, a blue-tipped bob) and her penchant for knitting, her shining presence in the Force and sense of humor reminding Rey of both Leia and Poe. 

Before getting sent out here, she had been attempting to teach Rey to knit in their rare downtime. Though it was pretty apparent from the start that Rey lacked the patience required to stick with it, she missed the quiet moments, the way the repetition calmed her mind.

Vi strode toward them, meeting Rey halfway in a brief embrace. About a head shorter than Rey, she was covered in one of the wraps they’d seen earlier in the marketplace, this one a lovely shade of red. It hung to about mid-thigh, deftly hiding a wide array of weapons Rey could feel as the other woman brought her close. Rey tried her best not to stiffen at the contact. She still couldn’t get used to all this casual touch the Resistance was so fond of. “Aren’t you two a sight for sore eyes. Though, I have to admit was only expecting to see your ugly mug, Dameron.” She released Rey to do the same with Poe. 

“Yeah, last minute change of plans.” He jerked his thumb at Rey. “This one didn’t trust Hondo with the Falcon. Wanted to check it out herself.”

“Smart woman,” answered Vi. Rey couldn’t help but look a little smug at the compliment. “Sorry for the scare, but I thought I recognized you two when you disappeared down here. Figured I’d better fish you out before trouble found you.”

Rey gave Poe a long look. “I thought this planet was too remote for the First Order.”

“I was more worried about the local gangsters, but we do get the occasional buckethead. So I wouldn’t be advertising that starbird if I were you.” Vi nodded toward Poe’s jacket.

Poe looked offended on its behalf. “I think my starbird and I will be just fine.”

Vi shrugged. “Suit yourself. Now come on, I’ll show you where to bring that ship of yours.”

They followed Vi back out into the marketplace, bustling once more thanks to the lack of rain. She could swear her hand still tingled from when Poe grabbed it earlier. It didn’t mean anything, she knew that deep down, but it had still hurt a little when dropped her hand. Like he couldn’t touch her for one second more than necessary.

As they walked, it became obvious quite quickly that Vi had been right. While most people glanced right past Rey and Vi, Poe stuck out like a sore thumb in his synth leather jacket, the bright alliance Starbird proclaiming him an off-worlder for all to see. And the people around them were definitely starting to notice.

A large Aqualish gave them a single look before hurrying off in the opposite direction, while a small pack of human children stopped to outright stare. The woman in a yellow scarf directly in front of them leaned over to whisper to her companion, neither making eye contact as they passed.

Poe seemed to pick up on it at the same time she did. “I think I’m gonna need to lose the jacket.”

Vi snorted just in front of them. “Told you.”

He quickly tucked it into his bag as Vi led them out of the outpost proper and down a long, winding path. On one side, they passed a large scrap yard, old ships and redundant tech piled high in every direction. Oh the portions she could have made with a little bit of time in those piles. Even a cursory glance brought up three or four items that would have kept her fed for _weeks. _

Vi noticed her attention. “Savi’s place. His gatherers search the scrap for usable tech and other hidden gems.” She winked at Rey. “Not unlike someone I know. Though Savi’s a good guy, treats his people well.”

Rey gazed at the gatherers sifting through their piles. It wasn’t exactly that she missed it - life on Jakku had been many things and kind was certainly not one of them - but things had been easier then. When she’d known her place and done her part. The Resistance held none of that certainty for her. Though there were definitely some upsides. She snuck a glance at Poe, a little shocked to find his eyes already on her. 

“Not too much farther,” said Vi, turning their attention back to the task at hand. 

Soon enough they came upon a wide clearing sheltered on three sides by trees. The fourth side was bordered by a rocky outcropping completely unlike the spires that lent the outpost its name. Brown and low, the formation opened into what appeared to be a systems of caves. At least from what Rey could see.

“Ah, home sweet home,” Vi said, striding toward the opening. “We can unload here if you bring the Falcon around. Should be plenty of room.”

They were back in less than 10 minutes, Vi’s recruits coming out to do the heavy lifting. Rey supervised from the main hold, watching as the piles of crates and boxes dwindled. 

“Hey, do you have an extra medkit around here?” Poe appeared from the corridor, walking over and yanking open a drawer that moments before had been covered by a stack of crates.

Rey’s eyes widened in horror, unable to get out a full “wait!” before he finished. He took one look inside, his face coloring instantly, and calmly closed the drawer. 

She didn’t know who was more mortified as they stood looking at each other, both fully aware of what he just found. 

Poe cleared his throat. “So, uh, that extra medkit?” 

Rey walked across to the little engineering panel, wrenching open one of the dented metal drawers. “Here.”

He accepted it gratefully, Rey waiting until he’d gone back down the ramp to cross the room and stuff the stack of underwear he'd found into her bag. She was not about to have some pirates shuffling through her panties, doing gods knew what in the ‘fresher.

Shaking her head, she made her way down the ramp and to where Poe and Vi were deep in conversation.

“There you are,” said Vi, seamlessly transitioning the conversation. She wasn’t Leia’s top spy for nothing. “One of my people can drop off the Falcon with Hondo. Come on, I'll give you two the grand tour.”

Vi led them through the main opening and into a series of increasingly impressive caverns, cut and molded to the needs of the crew while somehow still retaining their natural features. There was a barracks with ancient niches cut into the walls, supposedly by the ancients themselves according to Vi, a sizable mess, modern refresher facilities, and more. 

“When we first got here, you would not imagine the booby traps! Nearly died three times in this cavern alone,” said Vi as they rounded another corner into an even longer hallway. “Don’t look so nervous, Dameron, we’re 90% sure we got everything. Haven’t had an episode in weeks.”

Poe looked over at Rey, his brows so high she had to hide a snicker.

“And here we are.” Vi stopped outside what looked like it had once been the hull of a ship, silver and blue and heavily carbon scored. She wrenched it open with a scrape of metal on rock. “Now in my defense, it was only supposed to be Dameron.”

Rey’s heartbeat ticked up as Vi moved out of the way, revealing a tiny room cut into the wall, complete with a small table, an even smaller wardrobe, a single overhead light. 

And only one bed.

It was slightly (very, very slightly) larger than the single bunks their quarters on base all held, not nearly big enough to fit two full sized humans unless they wanted to touch. Which, based on the way Poe stiffened next to her, was not the case here.

She tried to ignore how her heart sank at the look on Poe’s face, his eyes wide as twin deflector dishes. 

“Uh, I mean, I’ll just sleep in the barracks, no problem, Rey can have the room,” he sputtered, talking faster than she’d ever heard him. “Yeah, I mean, those looked great. Very comfortable.”

“No can do, everywhere else is full. This is our last bed.” Vi slapped Poe on the back. “Not a bad problem to have if I do say so myself. We’re gonna have to cut out a few more rooms if recruitment keeps up like this.

“I’ll let you two get situated. I think a few of us are headed to the cantina if you care to join.”

With that, she turned and walked down the hall, leaving Poe and Rey to the silence.

Neither moved from the doorway as they continued to stare at the tiny room. It was cool down here, almost climate controlled thanks to the rock. At least the temperature would be comfortable while they slept. That was probably the only thing.

With a shake of her head, Rey strode into the room, dropping down onto the bed. This was getting ridiculous already. They were both adults. She faced Supreme Leader Snoke for kriff’s sake. It was just a bed.

When she turned around, Poe was still hovering on the threshold, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, I can just take the floor. It’s one night.”

Rey looked down at the (filthy) rocky floor. There was barely enough floor space for the two of them to stand, let alone for Poe (or anyone for that matter) to lay down.

“Listen, we both know there isn’t enough room for that. We’ll each take a side and stick to it. You’re right, it’s one night. We can do this.”

Poe still looked wary, but he stepped forward, dropping his bag on the right side of the bed. “Uh, I normally sleep on this side, but it doesn’t matter…”

“That’s fine, I don’t have a side.” She scooted to the left, not feeling the need to mention that was because until a few months ago, she’d never had a bed. Even now, her bed (either one of them) was too small to have a preference. 

But Poe did. She wondered if that affinity was born from nights spent in bed with other beings. Probably. You wouldn't have to sleep alone often when you looked like Poe Dameron.

Though right now Poe looked more nauseous than anything, taking deep breaths through his nose.

Having never actually shared a bed with someone, Rey should have been the nervous one, but all she could feel was a little thrill at the prospect. Anyone else and she would have been terrified at the proximity, but for some reason, she felt no anxiety at the prospect of Poe. Something to think about later.

He seemed to be battling himself at the edge of the bed, one side finally winning as he sat down.

“Promise I’m not a bed hog or anything,” he said sheepishly, his face a little pinker than she remembered.

She smiled. “I don’t think I am. Though, I never really had a bed to hog until recently.”

There was no time for her to interpret the look that crossed his face when Vi chose that second to poke her head in. “We’re headed to Oga’s, you guys coming with?”

Poe hadn’t even recovered from her last confession when her face lit up at the invitation.

“I’ve never been to a cantina before!”

His heart broke a little more for her.

But Vi didn’t miss a beat. “Well then come on, Jedi Girl. Let’s fix that.”

The suns were just starting to set as they made the walk back into the outpost, passing the same scrapyard as before. Like the last time, he could practically hear Rey tallying the finds as they walked, her eyes hungry in a way he’d never seen before. It was completely different from the wide-eyed way she took in the marketplace, the calculation here driving home all the ways the galaxy had failed her. And all the advantages he had over the years. Perspective. He could definitely do with a little perspective. 

A bed. She’d never had something as simple as a bed until she came to the Resistance. No wonder she didn’t want to sleep in her room on base. It was probably suffocating.

Though it seemed to bother him far more than it did her, Rey’s easy smile coming back as soon as they were past the scrapyard. 

Early evening was kind to the buildings of Black Spire, the setting suns leaving the whole town gleaming in reddish light. And with three suns to set, twilight would be a lengthy ordeal here, giving the outpost a dreamlike quality. A happy sigh from beside him let him know Rey felt the same way. 

The merchants were starting to close up shop as they skirted the main marketplace, taking a path that brought them past a number of ramshackle stands selling everything from the same wooden figurines - at half price! - to tech that was most definitely not acquired by any legal means. 

Rey stopped in front of an ancient looking woman dressed head to toe in mismatched scarves. “Look,” she said, holding up an olive scarf. There was a darker olive pattern woven into it, something like interlocking loops and swirls that floated against the soft-looking fabric. She held it up to him. “This would be perfect for you.”

He _ was _feeling a little exposed without his jacket, left in their room for obvious reasons. Nothing about him screamed ‘Resistance’ anymore, but he couldn’t deny that the scarf would help him blend in. Everyone and their brother seemed to have one here. Not to mention the way Rey smiled as she held it up, like this was the greatest idea the galaxy had ever known.

“It would look great with your eyes,” she added, her own eyes catching the fading light just so. 

Well if he wasn’t already sold.

They made quick work of the transaction, the old lady letting it go for a song “to the happy couple.” Neither corrected her (or made eye contact) as they finished up, Vi standing off to the side.

Poe attempted to wind the scarf around his neck, Rey taking over almost immediately.

“Here,” she said, unwinding it so she could shake it out. She folded the fabric once, her tongue poking out slightly as she rewound it around his neck with a practiced hand. Not that he was watching her tongue. That carefully.

“You know what, I’m gonna head in,” said Vi, motioning toward the cantina. There was a glint in her eye that Poe recognized. She was laughing at them. “We’ll be at the bar.”

Rey's hands were cool where they brushed against the bare skin of his neck, decidedly less smooth than it had been this morning. He hadn’t even thought to bring a razor, not that he would be needing it. No, it would do no good to think about what his scruff could do to soft, pale skin. It was a moot point.

Another couple of adjustments and Rey took a step back, evidently satisfied with her work. “There.”

Poe took a spin. “How do I look?” It had been so long, he almost didn’t recognize it for what it was. He was _flirting_.

Rey’s smile shone brighter than all three suns as she took him in. “Dashing.”

And so was she.

They stood in silence for a moment, the sights and sounds and smells of the outpost washing over him. Something that had been wound tight inside him started to loosen ever so slightly. Even so, it still felt like a victory.

“I think they’re waiting for us.” Poe nodded toward the cantina. He could just make out the faint pulse of music coming from the closed door, beckoning them closer. “After you.” 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey enjoy their evening out until a couple of unwanted visitor bring an abrupt end to the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was doing so well with keeping these chapters pretty even in length and then this happened. Sorry for the monstrous chapter, the story demanded it, I swear!
> 
> I do not apologize for geeking out over DJ R-3X.

The familiar stench of stale beer and unwashed bodies hit his nose as soon as the doors to the cantina opened. Next to him, Rey’s nose crinkled in distaste for a second before something on the opposite side of the room caught her eye.

And there was a lot to look at, from the giant Karkarodon sitting in a corner booth with a Wookiee to the frothing drinks spread across the tables to the animated little droid DJing on stage.

It was that droid that grabbed Rey’s attention, practically pulling her across the crowded cantina to the base of the raised platform. A ridiculous smile spread across her lips.

“This is an RX unit! These things piloted the old StarSpeeder3000s.” She climbed up the railing separating the droid from the rest of the cantina. “But what is it doing here? They were declared defective ages ago.”

“Hey! Watch who you’re calling defective!” said the droid, not pausing the techno beat bouncing through the bar. “And you are not supposed to be on this side of the railing.”

The Karkarodon was watching Rey with no little bit of interest as he got to his feet in the corner, Poe taking that as a sign.

“Okay, Sunshine, that’s enough,” Poe said, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her from the railing before she could actually touch the thing. Kriff, this woman was going to be the death of him. “It’s not polite to grab the DJ.”

“But the RX model has an original heuristic processor. It’s being wasted here. There must be something wrong with its programming!”

Setting her down on the ground, he gently guided Rey toward the bar. “As much as I’m sure it appreciates your concern, I’m not so sure the proprietor wants her droid messed with.”

Rey huffed her displeasure but went willingly to where Vi was standing at the bar.

“Well don’t you two like to make an entrance? I thought the whole point of this trip was to lay low.”

Poe shot a look over to the corner. The Karkarodon (who must have been some kind of bouncer or enforcer) had sat back down, but still had one beady eye trained on their crew. This was definitely not how Poe had planned to spend the evening.

“Someone couldn’t keep her hands off the droids,” he said, pulling one of the menus toward him.

Rey turned to Vi. “There is an RX unit up there. Do you know how rare it is to find one of those that’s not scrap?”

Vi shot Poe a look before answering. “Yeah, DJ R-3X is one of a kind, but I don’t think Oga would take too kindly to someone messing with her property. And you do not want to get on Oga’s bad side. Even if you’re only here for a day.”

The pout promptly dropped off Rey’s face as she continued to take in her surroundings, now without the distraction of the RX DJ. “This place is amazing,” she said, voice a little breathy.

Poe looked around. It was… exactly like every other cantina he’d been in across the galaxy. The lighting was low inside, with a semi-circular bar taking up most of the space. Sticky floors, crowded bar, more firepower on the patrons than all of the remaining Resistance combined. Though he supposed for someone raised on Jakku this would qualify as something amazing. And he couldn’t help but smile at the look of breathless wonder on her face as she took in all the taps full of bubbling concoctions, the bartenders flitting from one end of the bar to the other as they slung drinks.

Vi cleared her throat. “Uh, if you two are ready.”

Poe’s face heated as he tore his eyes from Rey. This was becoming an issue. But how could he concentrate on anything else when she was looking at him like he held all the answers in the galaxy?

“I haven’t even looked yet,” said Rey, beaming as snatched the menu out of Poe’s hand. No big deal, he already knew what he wanted anyway. “These names are all so ridiculous. What the kriff is a Fuzzy Tauntaun?”

Her laugh warmed him in a way he decided not to think about. This Rey was a completely different woman from the shy scavenger he’d introduced himself to on the Millennium Falcon. Hells, she was even different from the closed off woman he’d invited to dinner not even 24 hours ago. No, this Rey was quick to smile and easy to laugh, her face completely open in wonder at the world around her. And she hadn’t so much as flinched when he’d grabbed her off the railing, not to mention when she’d touched him earlier with the scarf. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who needed a day away from base.

One of the bartenders sidled up to their little party, his bright purple hair completely clashing with his flashy orange blazer. 

“What can I get you folks? A Bad Motivator for the gentleman? A Jedi Mind Trick for the lovely lady?” he asked with a wink, all of his considerable charms focused on Rey. Poe tried not to deck him.

Rey’s eyes went wide for a second before Vi waved the man off. 

“Don’t pay Zade any attention. He’s one of us. Zade, meet Poe and Rey, a couple of fellow Resistance members. Poe and Rey, this is Zade, my eyes and ears in the outpost.”

“At your service,” said Zade, dropping a low bow. This one certainly had a flair for the dramatic. “Now, what’s everybody having?”

“Bespin Fizz,” answered Poe when nobody spoke up. Zade gave him a nod.

Next up was Rey. “I want something that’s bubbling, like that.” She pointed toward the Zabrack two down from them. “No, no, wait, I want the one with the foam.”

Poe was about to tell her to try both, but he stopped himself before the words left his mouth. He had no clue what her experience was with alcohol and there was no way he was bringing home a hungover Jedi tomorrow. Leia would murder him.

Zade winked again. “One Fuzzy Tauntaun, coming right up. And for the boss lady?”

“The usual, please.”

“Toniray, extra heavy on the pour. Sit tight.” He was off with a flourish, scurrying with the rest of the bartenders.

Vi leaned over. “Listen, I know he doesn’t look like much but he’s been one of my best assets since....” She stopped, a haunted look crossing her face.

Poe’s heart sank in recognition. It was a look they’d become all too accustomed to wearing these days. “Archex?”

Vi nodded. “KIA the last time we had First Order visitors. Gave his life to save the rest of us.”

Rey placed her hand on the other woman’s forearm. 

“Damn, I’m sorry, Vi.” Poe shook his head. 

He hadn’t really known the man, but he’d heard the story. Archex, then Captain Cardinal, had captured Vi aboard the Absolution and tortured her for days before letting her go and trying to take down Phasma on his own. He’d lost, and for some reason Vi had saved him and brought him back to the Resistance. Poe could barely believe it when Leia had assigned both Vi and Archex to the Batuu project, but she always had her reasons. Apparently, she’d been right.

Zade chose that moment to return with their drinks. “We have a toniray, a tauntaun, and a fizz.” He stopped looked from one of them to the other. “Who died?”

Vi rolled her eyes. “Yes, his timing is always this impeccable. I was telling them about Archex.”

“Oh, kriff,” said the bartender, plunking another glass on the bar and filling it with a finger or two of amber liquid. He raised the glass. “To Archex.”

“To Archex,” they parrotted, bringing their drinks to their lips. 

Vi set down her glass. “Now, let’s talk about happier things. Tell me how the Resistance is doing.”

They passed an easy ten minutes as Poe and Rey filled her in on the rebuilding (which honestly, wasn’t as far along as they wanted it to be) and recruitment levels (numbers were up, but still not nearly enough). 

“I said let’s talk about happier things,” Vi paused to down the last of her wine. “Where’s Mr. I Can Fly Anything? That almost painful optimism? All I’m getting here is Downer Dameron.”

Rey snorted into her drink.

That was the second time he’d had that “I can fly anything” line used against him that day. When he got back to base he was gonna murder Finn. “Listen, this year has been-”

Vi cut him off. “Yeah, I think it’s safe to say we’ve all had a shitty year. You made some bad calls. The question is, what are you going to do about it?” She stood up, stretching her back slightly. “On that note, I’ve got an early morning. You guys good to get back to headquarters on your own?”

Rey answered for them. “Yeah, we’re good. See you tomorrow.”

“Remember what I said, Dameron.” She gave him a pat on the shoulder on the way out.

“Well, Vi is certainly a little more intense than I remember.” Rey took a long sip of her drink, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

Poe huffed a laugh, downing the last of his own drink. “Leadership does that.” He looked to her nearly empty glass. “One more round?”

The heat on his cheeks had nothing to do with the booze when she turned the full weight of her smile to him. “Definitely.”

He motioned for Zade.

Their drinks showed up quickly, Poe taking his in hand. “What should we cheers?”

Rey looked thoughtful for a moment before lifting her glass. “To vacations and good friends.”

“To vacations and good friends.” His cheeks ached at how wide his smile had gone.

He took a sip, letting the familiar heat burn through him. Like the last one, his drink bubbled and fizzed, a tiny bit of smoke coming off the top of the liquid. Also like the last one, it went down smooth, the fire in his belly the only sign of how boozy the drink actually was.

“Good?” she asked, taking a healthy sip of her own. Her cheeks were pink but her eyes were clear. Definitely not drunk. Yet.

Poe nodded, offering the glass to her. “Yeah, you want to try?” He’d noticed her eyeing the frothing concoction for the last 10 minutes. 

She accepted the glass, giggling as soon as she took a sip. “The bubbles are weird. Here, try mine.” 

His lips started to tingle as soon as the glass touched them. “What the?”

“My lips have been numb for like half an hour,” Rey laughed, taking another sip of his drink. “I think it’s the foam.”

“Well that’s a weird feeling.” He brought his fingers to his lips, watching Rey’s eyes trace the motion. For a split second, he thought he saw that hungry look in her eyes, but when he blinked her face was back to normal.

The music changed to something upbeat and almost folksy sounding, the singer’s voice low and the language guttural. Without warning everyone in the bar raised a glass and shouted, Rey’s hand instantly going the blaster holstered on her hip.

It took only a few seconds for her to realize it wasn’t a threat and her hand to drop, though the confusion remained on her face.

“Come on, guys. It’s a Gungan drinking song!” shouted Zade from behind the bar. He raised a glass, shouting “hey!” along with the music.

Poe burst out laughing at the look on Rey’s face. “It’s a Gungan drinking song, who are we to argue with that?” Lifting his own glass, he joined in on the next shout.

A smile crept across Rey’s face. She grabbed her glass, her next “hey!” the loudest of all.

The song ended with one final shout, everyone around them downing their drinks in one.

Rey raised her brows at him in question, Poe answering by clinking his glass to hers. “Bottoms up.”

He hadn’t realized they never switched back until the foam hit his lips, tingling away all the feeling in his lips and tongue. Their glasses hit the bar at the same time, Rey dissolving into giggles next to him.

“I think I like this place,” she said, flagging down Zade. “Two Jet Juices, please.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you know that’s a shot, right?” Poe was already feeling buzzed, but he’d always been a bit of a lightweight, much to the delight of his friends on Black Squadron. “If this is your first time drinking, maybe we should slow down.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “I said this was my first time in a cantina, not my first time drinking. And let me tell you, the stuff they brewed on Jakku was a lot stronger than this.” She picked up the red liquor Zade had set in front of them, a nod toward Poe encouraging him to do the same.

Oh, he was definitely going to regret this.

But he picked up the glass anyway, knocking it with hers in a way that was already starting to feel familiar. “To one night in Black Spire.”

“To one night in Black Spire,” she repeated, bringing the glass to her lips with a practiced movement. Maker save him, what did they get up to on Jakku?

He did the same, wincing as the alcohol hit his throat and burned the long way down to his stomach. 

“I’m gonna hit the ‘fresher, then we should probably get back.” She was up and around the corner before his throat stopped burning, Poe watching the purposeful way she moved with a little too much interest.

“So does she know?” 

Poe looked up to find Zade watching him as he wiped down a glass.

He squinted at the bartender. “Does she know what?

“That you’re in love with her, of course.”

“I- No, I mean-” Poe sputtered, his heart beating in his throat. What the hell was this guy talking about? “She’s a friend. A colleague. I-I’m not.”

And he wasn’t. He  _ was not. _ No. Rey was the last hope of the galaxy and who was he? A broken down pilot who couldn’t make the right decision to save his life. No, Rey deserved better than his washed up ass. 

This kid had no clue what he was talking about. 

“If you say so.” Zade gave him a sceptical look. “That’s a real shame though. Cause she’s definitely in love with you.”

_____

Rey took a deep breath and looked at her reflection in the grimy mirror. She wouldn’t quite say she was drunk, but there was definitely something buzzing along her veins, no matter what she said to Poe. Granted, she wasn’t sure it was the alcohol that had her feeling so giddy.

Poe was… well, he was different when he wasn’t trying to carry the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders. More like the man Finn couldn’t shut up about. The man who inspired unfailing loyalty in both his fellow Resistance fighters and adorable, round droids.

And here she was, a one-time scavenger so wide-eyed and naive she didn’t even realize that it was not a good idea to try to reprogram a droid in the middle of a crowded bar. Though, she honestly couldn’t be mad about that when it ended with Poe’s arm around her. The way he plucked her off that railing like she was nothing more than a ragdoll left her thinking about all the other ways he might demonstrate that strength. Much like her, he was a lot stronger than he looked.

Rey shook those thoughts from her head.

She could do this. It was a 10 minute walk back to the base and then this night would be over. She would take a shower, put on her sleep clothes, and crawl into bed.

Bed. The one bed. The one bed Poe would also be sleeping in.

Ok, maybe this wasn’t the best line of thinking. 

With one final deep breath she was out the door and back into the cantina, watching as Poe wrapped up what looked like a heated conversation with Zade.

Poe cut off abruptly when she sidled up. “You ready?” he asked, a weak smile on his face. He turned back to Zade. “What do we owe you?”

He waved them off. “Nothing. Friends and family discount.”

“Are you sure?” She had trouble wrapping her head around this kindness of strangers code that the Resistance lived by. It still felt weird to accept something with no expectation of having to give in return.

“Of course, we’re all Resistance, right? I’ll see you two back at the ranch.” He gave them an exaggerated wink before disappearing around the other side of the bar.

Poe looked at her, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “Well, I guess that’s our cue. Are you hungry, cause I’m definitely hungry. We should see if that podracer place is still open.”

She followed him out into the evening air, Poe keeping up a one-sided conversation of mindless chatter. Whatever had happened while she was in the ‘fresher had turned him into yet another version of Poe Dameron, this one twitchy and bumbling and nervous. Nothing at all like the suave man who had spun for her in the marketplace.

But the many faces of Poe Dameron was the last thing on her mind as they walked through the still-bustling streets. She swore this place got more beautiful every time she stepped foot in it, though nothing she'd seen so far compared to Black Spire Outpost at night. The buildings practically glowed with warm light, while the spires kept watch overhead with their quiet majesty.

The podracer place was open, Poe making good on his earlier promise to buy her whatever they were cooking. It was good too, Rey demolishing her own wrap and part of Poe’s as they ambled through the streets. When they rounded a corner, Rey felt an all too familiar tug behind her navel. She’d learned long ago not to fight the feeling, instead following it down one alley and out another as Poe followed a step or two behind.

They ended up in a courtyard outside the salvage shop, Rey stopping in front of tree wrapped in scraps of fabric. Strips of every color were tied to the branches, hundreds in all, each waving in the soft breeze. Power, undeniable and permanent, came off the tree in waves, a distinct reminder of the tree on Yavin 4 that Luke Skywalker had gifted Shara Bey.

It was one of the first places Poe had taken her on Yavin, and it remained her favorite, the place she went when everything got to be too much and she needed a moment alone.

“What is it?” asked Poe as he came up behind her, his voice soft. It was obvious that he could feel it too.

“The Trilon Wishing Tree.”

Both turned to find an ancient woman with a cane carved in intricate designs hobbling toward them. 

“The what now?”

“The Trilon Wishing Tree. You tie a ribbon and make your wish and when the fabric disappears, that means your wish has come true.” 

Rey cocked her head. "Who grants your wish?"

"Well, the ancients of course," she answered, like it was obvious. Apparently done imparting wisdom, t he old woman turned on her heel and continued down the path without another word.

They watched in silence as she disappeared around a corner, Rey turning back to the tree. 

“You can feel that, right?” she asked, taking a step closer to the tree. 

“Yeah, it’s kind of hard to miss.”

She fingered the fabric hanging around her waist. “Do you have a vibro-blade?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Can I borrow it?”

He handed it over without further comment, Rey freeing a thin strip of fabric from the end of her drapes before handing it back. She strode forward before she lost her nerve, hopping on the low wall and selecting a branch at eye level. Her wish was only half-formed in her mind when she tied the greyish ribbon, but if the tree was as connected to the Force as she suspected, it would understand.

She felt Poe’s presence beside her a second before an olive ribbon joined her grey, Poe’s nimble fingers tying the knot tight. When she finally turned her head, he was smiling at her, and a lot closer than she had been expecting, his face mere inches from her own.

She took a deep breath, pretending that her heart wasn’t about to beat out of her chest and asked, “So what did you wish for?”

“I can’t tell you that or it won’t come true.” His tongue darted out between his lips for a second, Rey watching the movement with barely contained fascination. 

“That old lady didn’t mention any exceptions.”

“Everybody knows that, Sunshine.” One of his hands reached up and plucked a leaf from her hair, palm eventually settling on her cheek. 

Somehow his face was growing closer, or maybe it was her that was moving forward, but either way Rey was pretty sure they were about to collide in the best possible way when she caught a flash of white plastoid out of the corner of her eye.

“Let’s see some identification.”   
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an eventful evening in the outpost, Rey and Poe settle into bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there was only one bed (FINALLY).

The two stormtroopers stood shoulder to shoulder in front of them, blasters at the ready. Well that was one way to sober her up.

“I said, let’s see some identification,” the trooper on the left repeated, readjusting his blaster so it was pointing directly at Rey.

Her heart dropped into her stomach.

Poe’s left hand was still on her cheek, his right reaching down to unstrap the blaster on her hip. Slowly, he put the visible hand up, turning as if he was about to surrender. “Easy. Easy. I just have to reach-”

But he never finished the sentence, instead whirling around and firing two shots that bounced off the plastoid chests of the troopers, forcing them back a step.

“Run!” he shouted, grabbing her arm and taking off toward the winding streets in the center of the outpost. 

Rey recognized nothing as they wound their way deeper into unfamiliar streets, dodging blaster bolts from their pursuers. They were nowhere near the marketplace or cantina or any of the landmarks she’d come to recognize in their short time here. Every few steps Poe fired off a shot or two from her blaster, unsuccessfully trying to slow them down. 

All too soon, they found themselves in a dead end, a small square surrounded on three sides by buildings. A huge First Order flag hung from the largest structure, the red and black grotesque against the natural stone. Then there was the TIE.

It was giant, at least twice as big as a normal fighter, capable of moving an entire squad at a time. Heavily armored and armed to the teeth, the Echelon was the next generation of troop transport. And the source of their current problems.

“Uh, Poe,” she said, her eyes growing wide. If that thing could hold 12, that meant there were 10 more troopers wandering around the outpost.

He seemed to realize that at the same time she did. “Kriff!” 

They both whirled to face their two troopers as they trotted into the square. At least they were slow as ever.

“Hands up!” one shouted, blaster aimed at Poe this time. “And drop your weapons.” 

“Now would be the time for a little of that Jedi magic, Sunshine,” said Poe out of the corner of his mouth. 

Oh, the Force. Of course, why didn’t she think of that?

Maybe it was because her training wasn’t coming along quite as they’d all hoped. But while meditation and communing with the Force would never be her strong suit, she’d always excelled at this. That panicked last minute save.

Rey looked inside, reaching for that voice that spoke with a power not her own. Calmly, so calmly, she looked at the troopers. “These are not the spies you’re looking for.” 

“I said, drop your weapons!”

Ok, that was not ideal. And now was certainly not the time for the Force to fail her. She needed to ground herself, find the Force around her.

On a whim, she reached for Poe’s hand. Immediately she felt the difference, a connection that hadn’t been there a moment before. She closed her eyes, once again reaching deep inside herself.

When she opened her eyes, she spoke in a tone that left no room for debate. “These are not the spies you’re looking for.”

The change in the troopers was immediate. “These aren’t the spies we’re looking for.”

“Move along.”

“Move along.” The troopers lowered their weapons, Rey taking one cautious step and then another when they didn’t raise them again.

They walked toward the only exit, Rey forcing herself (and by extension, Poe) to move slowly, putting one foot in front of the other even as her heart beat in her throat. Running would only draw more suspicion. She was still holding Poe’s hand when the sound of additional voices reached their ears.

“Hey, why are you letting them go? Stop!”

It was once again Poe who took the lead, dragging her by the arm around a corner and out of view. Up one alley and down another, they crisscrossed what felt like the entire outpost, the soft clatter of plastoid armor never far behind. There had to be six of them following now, always one wrong turn away. 

Without warning, Poe dragged her into a hidden niche in the darkest part of an alley, pressing her back into his chest. She could feel his heart pounding against spine, his breaths coming hot and heavy by her ear. They were covered by a trash receptacle, the smell overpowering in the small space.

In the next second, the troopers came upon their hiding place, Poe’s arm tightening incrementally across her middle. She placed her hand on top of his and held on for dear life, not even daring to breath as the stormtroopers gathered just to the left of their hiding spot.

“They’re not here,” said one, his red pauldron naming him leader of their little group. “Let’s double back and see where we lost them.”

Rey released the breath she’d been holding as they disappeared back onto the main road, neither her nor Poe daring to move as first one and then a second minute passed.

Poe’s breath was warm on her ear when he finally spoke. “I think the coast is clear.” He unwrapped his arm from her almost reluctantly, the loss of his warmth acute in the cool of the night.

“Can I have my blaster back now?” She felt naked and vulnerable without it, hating every moment she was unarmed. 

Poe looked down at his hand like he was surprised he still had it. He handed it over. “Of course.”

He took out his own blaster, leading them in the opposite direction of the troopers. It was a slow go as they crept along, keeping to the dark alleys and unsavory corners of the outpost, but eventually they found their way to the path that led to the Resistance hideaway.

Rey checked over her shoulder as she had been every few feet. “No sign of the stormtroopers. We’re not being followed.”

Even so, neither put down their weapons until they were safely ensconced in the caves.

Rey leaned against a wall as soon as they were covered, suddenly exhausted. It felt like her heart had been doing double time for the past two hours. Poe didn’t look much better, slumped as he was in a chair across the room. 

“I thought this place was too remote for the First Order,” she panted at him, keeping her voice low. It was late, far later than they had been intending thanks to those stormtroopers, and most of the Resistance had gone to bed.

Poe rested his head in his hands on the table in front of him. Her heart lurched when she noticed his shoulders were shaking, but it only took another few seconds for her to realize he was _ laughing _.

Apparently, a little hysterically. “I guess they missed the memo,” he got out before completely dissolving into giggles, Rey only lasting a few seconds more before she followed suit.

They couldn’t stop. Every time it seemed like they’d regained control all it took was a single look to send them over the edge again. Laughter echoed from the ceiling. Tears streamed down her face. Her sides ached with the movement.

It crossed Rey’s mind that perhaps they were still a little drunk after all.

Finally Vi, sans wig at this hour, popped her head into the room. “Uh, everything ok out here?”

Rey calmed herself enough to get out, “Stormtroopers. Chased us. Lost them,” between giggles.

“And what’s so funny about that?” Vi cocked her head, smiling despite her confusion. 

Poe took a deep shuddering breath, finally garnering some semblance of control. One hand came up to swipe at the tears on his cheeks. “More of an inside joke, I suppose.”

He caught Rey's eye, a spark of mischief playing across his face. Apparently, they had inside jokes now. Somehow, she managed to hang on to her composure by a thread. 

Vi was watching them with look of confusion on her face. “Uh, ok. If you guys are good, I’m heading back to bed. Goodnight.” With one final look from one to the other, she was gone.

“We should hit the sack, too. This has been one long day.” He stood, stretching his back before offering her a hand. 

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” She accepted his help gratefully, having at some point over the last 10 minutes slid down the wall onto the stone floor. Her muscles ached from the run and her head was starting to follow suit as the alcohol left her system in a hurry. Sleep would bring some welcome relief.

So she followed him through the halls, Poe conveniently forgetting to drop her hand after helping her to her feet. Something had changed between them, but she was too tired and sore to think about it until they were face to face with the reality of their sleeping situation.

They stood staring at each other across the little room, that lone bed between them.

Rey spoke first. “So, I can take the first shower, unless you want to…”

Poe let out a breath, dropping down to the bed. “No, no, you can have the first shower. I’ll just… be here,” he finished lamely, though the relief was palpable on his face.

She gathered her things and wandered down the hall until she found the ‘fresher, taking her time as she showered off the day’s grime. She’d been sweaty and filthy for so long, it felt like heaven itself to stand under the water. Sweet relief washed over her as she took out her buns, massaging away the ache in her scalp. 

Far too soon she was done, never wanting to waste any more water than strictly necessary. Old habits died hard, even on a planet this lush and green. The soft clothes she slept in felt extra thin as she traipsed back toward the little room, feet half shoved into her boots and shuffling.

Poe was sitting on the bed, exactly as she’d left him. In fact, she was pretty sure he hadn’t moved, still staring at the same spot on the rocky wall. He stood when he noticed her approach, a brisk nod before gathering his things and disappearing down the hall from which she’d just come.

Weird. Very weird.

But she put it from her mind, brushing out her wet hair. That finished, she settled into bed, bringing herself directly to the edge. She concentrated on making herself as small as possible, leaving enough room to put a little distance between her and her future bed mate. It was the real reason she wanted the first shower, to stake her claim and get comfortable before she had to share. But the day had taken a toll on her, and as soon as she hit the pillow her eyes fell closed.

It could have been five minutes or five hours later when she was awoken by a rustling, opening her eyes in time to watch Poe shrug on a white shirt. It was standard issue, same as the sleep clothes she was currently wearing. It gave her a little thrill, the fact that they matched, not to be confused with the flutter in her stomach at the blink and you’ll miss it shot of Poe’s bare chest. So much tanned skin, but it was gone before she could appreciate it, hidden below that plain shirt. He was already wearing pants, Rey absently wondering if she missed the bigger show.

He looked up to find her staring, Rey’s face burning in the low light. But he must not have thought anything of it, his voice soft when he said, “Sorry, I was trying not to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” she lied, returning Poe’s easy smile before turning to face the wall again.

She closed her eyes, listening to Poe rustle around the room. 

“Lights out,” he announced after a few minutes, the single light clicking off a second later. The mattress bounced as he got into bed, shifting to get comfortable. “G’night.” 

She mumbled it back, eyes already falling closed. Despite the slight distance, she could feel the heat of him on her back, radiating across the space. It should have made her nervous, but she was exhausted and her mind drifted, sleep taking her slowly but fully in no time at all.

Until she felt the mattress shift again, jerking her awake. 

The sharp intake of breath must have alerted Poe.

“Sorry!”

She gave a soft grunt in response, readjusting so her knee wasn’t hanging off the bed. A deep breath and she started to float away, that hazy space between dreaming and awake engulfing her.

That is, until a tug on the blanket had her jerking awake. Again. 

“Everything ok over there?” she asked, her voice rough from half-sleep. She turned toward him.

“Sorry again, just trying to get comfortable. I swear I’m done.” He rolled onto his back, hands laced together on his stomach. “Actually, now I’m done.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

“Ok.” Satisfied, she turned back toward her wall, trying to ignore the tension in her shoulders. Half-expecting him to move again, sleep proved elusive despite how tired she was. One minute passed, then two, Rey finally relaxing into the mattress. Her limbs went loose, breaths slow and even as she hovered on the edge of sleep.

This time she woke with a gasp, her heart dropping as the mattress shook beneath her. Immediately, she rolled over to look at Poe, barely able to make out his outline in the pitch dark room. 

“Ok, what’s going on?” She was completely exhausted and they had a long trip ahead of them tomorrow and she wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and she was officially done beating around the bush.

He continued to look up at the ceiling. “Can’t sleep.”

That wasn’t a surprise to her, not with how permanent the bags under his eyes had become. He tried to hide it, but there was no way to hide how his eyes drooped in meetings or the way he dragged his body around by the end of the day.

"You don't say." She chose her next words with intention, careful to keep the tone light. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Poe’s head whipped to face her, his own words sharp. “I don’t know, do you want to talk about how you sleep on the Falcon instead your bed?” He sighed scrubbing a hand over his face. “I’m sorry, I’m just…” He trailed off leaving her to fill in the blank. “You don’t owe me an explanation.”

She surprised both of them by answering anyway.

“I can’t sleep on base.” Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper, but Poe hung on every word. “The base is too loud, but the room’s too quiet. If that makes any sense." Another pause. "It’s lonelier than I thought it would be. But on the Falcon, I can breathe. It feels like the one place I actually belong.”

At some point during her speech, Poe’s hand had found hers under the covers, Rey holding on for dear life as she finished.

The room was silent as she finished. She waited.

Poe took a deep breath. “Every time I close my eyes, I see Kylo Ren. Or the dreadnaught. Or the transports exploding. Or those walkers on Crait. I haven’t slept through the night since I left for Jakku.”

His head was down, focusing all his attention on their clasped hands as he swiped a thumb back and forth across her knuckles.

“I see him, too. And sometimes Snoke.” 

That got his attention, his eyes lifting to meet her own. “How do you do it?” His voice cracked, betraying an agony she hadn’t realized he’d been carrying around this whole time. No wonder he was so heavy these days. “How do you forget about it long enough to fall asleep?”

She reached up with her free hand to trace the scars on his brow and cheek. They had softened over the months, barely even visible, but she knew exactly where they were. Those were the easy ones, the scars you could see. 

Poe’s eyes fell closed at the first touch. If he thought it was weird or overstepping, he didn’t say anything.

“I don’t. Forget, I mean. It’s always there, everything I’ve seen and done. I’ve just accepted it.” She shrugged. “And if all else fails, I count porgs.”

Poe barked out a laugh, the tension in his face easing. “Well, I suppose there are enough on the Falcon.”

“It’s quite convenient.”

The silence stretched, Rey’s hand now resting on Poe’s cheek. Poe brought a hand up to cover hers, the palm rough against her skin. She knew hers would feel the same on his cheek, calluses catching on the wiry stubble.

Their faces were close, breath mingling in spare inch between them. For the second time that night they were in this position. She felt it again, that impending collision, like diving headlong into an asteroid field. Only this time, Rey wasn’t planning on leaving it up to fate or the Force or a kriffing wishing tree.

The distance was so slight it took no effort at all to tilt her head up and press her lips softly to his.

_____

Poe’s brain short-circuited. 

She kissed him. Rey, Jedi extraordinaire, the toughest (and prettiest) woman in the galaxy, had just placed the softest kiss on his lips.

Even with what that nerf-herder Zade had told him, he’d thought it was all in his head, the way they’d been dancing around each other all day. There was no way that Rey would feel the same. And yet, even though he couldn’t believe it, it was still her name on his lips when he tied that scrap of his scarf to the wishing tree. 

And now she was pulling back, a look of not-quite terror on her face. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking.” Rey started to look away, her whole body turning from him.

He laid his palm against her cheek in an effort to stop her. “Hey Sunshine, you don’t ever need to be sorry for that.”

Her eyes flicked up to his, Poe taking that as all the confirmation he needed before he closed the distance between them once more. 

When their lips met, it felt like coming home, like that first breath of fresh air after three days in hyperspace, like those perfect moments after a Yavin rainstorm when everything was shining and reborn.

Rey’s hands were hesitant at first, staying at her sides even as the kiss lengthened, deepened. Then, a tentative hand found his side, gaining confidence as it slid around to lie flat on his back. Her other hand rested against his chest, tempering the erratic beat of his heart. He wondered if she could feel the ring under his shirt where it burned against his breast, the promise it contained a magic all its own.

They were both panting when he finally pulled away, resting his forehead against hers just to maintain the contact.

Rey’s smile stretched the width of her face, white teeth practically glowing in the dark. “I guess that’s one way to get your mind off Kylo Ren.”

Poe was still laughing when she caught his lips again. 

His fingers slid into her hair, still damp from the shower. Without thinking, he ran his tongue across the seam of her lips, wanting - no needing - to taste her. What had once been a spark was now a full blown flame as she opened for him, her tongue tentative until she figured out this new rhythm. 

All the while, her hands explored him, hesitating for a second at the hem of his shirt before diving under to find skin. Cooled hands roved over flushed skin, the contrast raising goose flesh.

This was moving fast, too fast he realized when those clever fingers found the waistband of his pants.

He grabbed Rey’s hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa Sunshine, slow down,” he said, softening his words with quick peck. “It’ll keep.”

She brushed a stray curl off his forehead. His hair was going to be a disaster tomorrow. “Ok, but I have a question.”

Poe’s stomach dropped. That felt like a loaded question, all the possibilities racing through his mind a mile a minute. Would she ask him something about what they’d been doing? Did she have any idea what she was doing, where that moment had been headed? He couldn’t imagine that the sex education on Jakku was anything to write home about, then again, knowing Rey, she probably knew more about the subject than he did. He swallowed his apprehension. “Go for it.”

“What’s with the ‘Sunshine?’ You keep calling me that.”

His face heated. Ok, maybe he would have preferred a question about sex. “Uh, it’s just a nickname I use in my head. And I guess I started saying it out loud?” 

“A nickname?”

“Yeah, like how we call Snap ‘Snap.’”

“But Sunshine is way longer than Rey.” She cocked her head. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

He took a deep breath. “It doesn’t have to be shorter. Yours is more…” Oh fuck it, just come out with it, Dameron. “You’re like the sun, so I call you Sunshine. A Rey of Sunshine.”

She gifted him with one of those glowing smiles. “That’s…”

“Embarrassing?”

“Sweet. That’s really sweet.” Her lips found his for a split second, a tiny spot of reassurance. She was good at this. “I’ve never had a nickname before.”

“Well, now you do.”

They traded lazy kisses for another minute or so before a yawn tore through Rey. 

Poe laughed, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose. “As much as I’d love to do this all night, and I’d really love to do this all night, we should get some sleep. Long flight ahead of us tomorrow.”

There'd be time to talk about all this tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after that. Like he'd said earlier, it will keep.

Rey’s eyes struggled to stay open, her body pliant in his arms. “Think you’ll be able to sleep now?”

He looked over at her, face smooth as she succumbed to sleep. Somehow, her head had ended up on his pillow, hair fanned out around her. Not that he minded. 

“I don’t think I’ll have any trouble at all,” he answered, but she was already asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to wrap this up. Thanks to everyone for reading my little self-indulgent fic.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Falcon returns and it's time to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter guys! Thanks to everyone who read and commented on this silly little fic. Hope you find the ending as satisfying as I did.

The first time Rey woke that morning, it was in Poe’s arms. 

Consciousness came slowly, her body too warm and relaxed for sleep to let her go that easily. She listened carefully, but the little Resistance holdout was quiet, still too early for the day to begin. With a contented sigh, she went to bury her face back into the pillow, only to find that she wasn’t on a pillow.

No, it was Poe’s broad chest that she was sleeping on, his muscled arms enveloping her in warmth. When had this happened? Last thing she remembered, they were talking about sleep, definitely side by side, and now they were here. Not that she was complaining. There were worse pillows to have than Poe Dameron.

For his part, Poe looked completely unbothered by the current arrangement, his breathing even and face smooth in sleep. Every bit of tension had bled out of his features, the handsome pilot looking more at ease than she’d ever seen him. And, she noted with some satisfaction, he didn’t even snore.

Yes, she could get used to this.

Last night felt like a dream. Laughing in the cantina, wishing on a tree, being chased through the outpost, it all led them here, to this bed. The sound of his voice breaking when he confessed why he couldn’t sleep would stay with her for a while. How long had he been walking around like the living dead and no one bothered to help him? Herself included. And how had she tried to fix that? She’d kissed him, of course.

And now what? A niggle of doubt wormed its way into her mind. Would everything be different in the not-so-cold light of day? 

They’d need to talk about it for sure, whatever this was between them. If there was anything between them. Oh gods, what if this was it? One night in Black Spire and then it was back to business as usual: awkward small talk as they worked on the Falcon, butting heads at meetings, the occasional dinner together in the mess.

No, she couldn’t believe that, not when she’d never felt more at home than right now in his arms. This was the belonging she’d been looking for all those years.

Rey closed her eyes.

The second time Rey woke that morning, it was to the smell of fresh caf.

Movement on the bed brought her to the edge of consciousness. She took a deep breath, the rich, earthy aroma hitting her nose at the same time her eyes fluttered open.

Caf.

“There she is,” said Poe from his spot on the mattress. He was already fully dressed, a steaming cup in either hand. “Morning, Sunshine.”

Rey smiled at the memory of the look on his face when he explained the name to her. Taking her time, she stretched, relishing the pop of vertebrae and the movement of sore muscles as Poe watched from his perch on the edge of the bed, a soft smile on his face.

“Morning,” she finally answered, pulling herself into a seated position. Her eyes drifted deliberately to the caf in his hands.

Poe laughed. “One cream, three sugars.” He handed over a mug, the contents the perfect shade of beige. 

She didn’t even get to take a sip before he twined his hand in her loose hair and pulled her in for a kiss, definitively silencing any doubts she’d had. Of course there was something between them. Now they just had to decide what that was.

There was no hesitation this time, her mouth surrendering to his immediately, the taste of caf bitter on Poe’s tongue. How he drank it black, she’d never understand.

It was quick as far as kisses went, Poe pulling back to rest his forehead against hers. “Now that’s how you say ‘good morning’ properly.”

Rey swore she’d smiled more in the last day than the rest of her 20 or so years combined.

She took a sip of caf. Perfect, of course. “What time is it?” It felt like she’d slept forever, a luxury she’d never before experienced.

“0930.”

Rey just about choked on her next mouthful of caf. “0930? Why didn’t you wake me?”

“You looked so peaceful, I couldn’t do it.” Poe shrugged. “Maybe you needed the sleep.”

“Says the man who hasn’t slept in months! You should be the one sleeping in.”

“I got seven uninterupted hours, Sunshine. That’s the best I’ve done since I left the Academy, thanks to you.”

The heat on Rey’s face had nothing to do with the drink in her hands. She waved him off. “Well, you still should have woken me.”

“Hey, if your own snoring hadn’t done the trick, who was I to step in?”

“Excuse you,” she said, swatting playfully at him, “but I do not snore.”

“Like a happabore, I’m telling you. Frankly, I’m a little surprised I got any shut eye at all…”

That comment earned him another whack as a knock drew their attention to the impromptu door. 

Vi poked her head in, metal screeching on stone. “Everybody decent?”

Rey swore the temperature went up by at least 10 degrees. Her eyes darted over to Poe, taking in the conspiratorial grin on his face.

His voice was a little too casual. “Of course, why wouldn’t we be?” 

“No reason at all,” Vi answered, her smirk speaking volumes. “Got a message from Ohnaka’s crew. The Falcon’s ready when you two are.”

“Thanks, Vi. Any word on the condition?” _ They had barely been gone 15 hours _ , Rey reasoned, _ it couldn’t be that bad. Right? _

“Sorry, that was the complete message. We’ve got some breakfast left over out here if you two are hungry.” With that, Vi disappeared back down the hall, her footsteps echoing off the stone.

Poe was on his feet with another swift peck to her lips. “I’ll let you get ready and meet you in the mess.”

Rey took another sip of caf as she watched him leave the room. No matter what you thought of Poe, it couldn’t be denied that he wore the hell out of those pants. Granted, Rey was now a little more interested in what awaited her inside those pants, but that was neither here nor there. 

Poe poured himself another cup of caf before dropping into one of the mismatched chairs in what passed for a mess here. Taking a sip, he was so glad he’d decided to hoof it to the outpost this morning to get the good stuff before Rey woke. This stuff had the distinct flavor of burnt rubber. But for a second cup, it would have to do.

He eyed the overcooked eggs and something that could have passed as sausage (he supposed), wondering if it would be in their best interest to grab something on their way to Hondo’s.

Footsteps shuffled across the stone. Poe’s heart dropped when he recognized the purple hair.

“Have a good night, man?” Zade gave him a friendly slap on the back, dropping in to the seat next to Poe’s. “Heard you two got a late start this morning.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Yeah, got chased through half the outpost by stormtroopers. A heads up about the First Order activity would have been nice. I thought you were the eyes and ears around here?” Poe bit back a wince as he took another sip. He liked his caf strong, but this was a whole new level.

Zade waved him off, taking a sip of his own caf and making a face. “Can’t be everywhere at once, now can I? Though, I am happy to report that they high-tailed it off planet sometime around last call. Probably to go get reinforcements, but lucky for you, you’ll be long gone before then.” He took another sip, this time struggling to contain a gag. “Ok, who let Dolin make the caf again? That farm boy is not allowed near the caf maker!”

Poe bristled at the term - he had grown up a farm boy, after all - but decided to ignore it in favor of that useful nugget of intel. “So the First Order is gone?”

“For now,” shot back Zade. He stared at his cup as if deciding it was worth the risk. Caffeine won out in the end as he finished it off with a grimace. “But not for long.”

Poe was still mulling that over when Rey walked in.

She looked fresh as a daisy in her usual outfit, hair returned to the standard three buns. He already missed the silky feel of it as it slid through his fingers. 

“Morning, Zade,” she said, her hand lingering on Poe’s shoulder when she passed.

The other man’s eyebrow quirked up. “Morning. Sleep well?”

Rey’s voice was even, but the flames on her cheeks gave them away. “Very.” She turned to Poe, very obviously reconsidering her plan to stay for breakfast. “You about ready?” 

“Ready if you are,” he replied, dumping his mug into the small portable sink in the corner. Grabbing his bag from the base of his chair, he followed Rey out into the suns.

Kriff, he’d forgotten how hot is was here until he was hit with a blast of sultry air. He was more than ready to be back on a planet with only one sun.

They found Vi in the courtyard teaching some new recruits blaster techniques. 

“Weapons down, everyone,” she said to the group at large. “Take five minutes and get some water.” She turned first to Rey. “You guys heading out?”

Rey nodded, accepting a hug from the spy. “Take care of yourself, Vi. We’ll see you on the other side of this.”

Vi nodded, the look on her face telling him she knew the odds of that.

Poe was next, squeezing Vi tight. “Take care.”

“You too,” she answered, whispering the next bit directly in to his ear. “And take care of her.”

Poe didn’t even pretend to be confused when she pulled away.

“Well, I guess this is it. May the spires keep you and may the Force be with you and all that.” And that was that. There was no such thing as a long goodbye in the Resistance.

Rey was quiet as they made their way down the now familiar path toward the outpost, their hands finding each other as soon as they were out of sight of the base. 

They bought some sort of sweet rolls for breakfast, letting the streets carry them along, winding in and out of stalls and stands and little hidden courtyards. It was quite obvious that they were putting off the inevitable. Neither was ready to let this place go.

Their wandering brought them to the wishing tree, scraps drooping in the still air.

“They’re gone,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. “They were on that branch and now they’re gone.”

Poe looked up. Sure enough, the spot they’d tied their ribbons was empty, wishes granted.

“Makes sense. My wish came true.” To emphasize the point, he pulled her closer, pressing the softest kiss to her mouth. 

When she pulled back her eyes were wide. “You wished… for me?”

“Not in so many words, but yes.”

Rey nodded, absorbing the information. “Good, cause I’m pretty sure I wished for you, too. Now, that I think about it, maybe we should have gone with galactic peace.”

Poe laughed, not wasting any time in bringing her back into his arms. This time, he made sure to kiss her properly, letting it build. Perhaps a little too much if the wolf whistle they drew from a group of Batuuan teens was any indication.

They broke apart giggling.

“Is it weird that I don’t want to leave?” he asked. If he was being honest with himself, he didn’t want to go back, to the Resistance, to the fight, a fact that left him feeling more than a little guilty. He would, that wasn’t an issue, he knew what was at stake. But now that he’d had a tiny sliver of peace, it was hard to face the realities of war. 

Rey thought about it for a second. “No. But I wouldn’t worry. I have a feeling we’ll be back here before long.”

“If there’s anyone I trust on the matter, it’s you.” He threw one arm around her narrow shoulders, bringing her in for a kiss on the cheek. “Lead the way, Sunshine. Let’s go home.”

Word came in just before dinner.

“General Organa, the Millennium Falcon has just dropped into range. All codes have been accepted and she’s cleared for landing.”

Leia looked up from her datapad. Force save her, these rebels kept getting younger and younger. “Thanks, Private.”

She got to her feet with the help of that blasted cane she’d been forced to take up after her trip into space. As much as she hated to admit any weakness, there was no way of getting around her need for the help.

Down the long hall she went, making her way toward the hangar and the landing strip. Lieutenant Tico found her halfway there.

“You heard about the Falcon?” 

Leia nodded. “The credits were deposited about an hour ago. A lot more than I was expecting, so either something went really right or something went really wrong.”

Rose’s eyes went wide. “You don’t think…”

“We’ll see in a minute or two, I suspect.”

They ended up on the duracrete just as the Falcon was setting down, Rose’s sharp eyes taking in every detail of the ship.

“It doesn’t look any more damaged than usual,” she hedged, still a little nervous.

A pneumatic hiss preceded the ramp lowering to the ground, two figures emerging from the steam. 

And promptly dropping their twined fingers.

Leia could feel Rose grin next to her. That quick comm to Vi must have paid off. With a subtle move, Leia reached her upturned palm out slightly behind her back, Rose quickly completing the low five before Poe and Rey were in front of them.

Lieutenant Tico owed her ten credits.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Next chapter gets them to Batuu and then the fun begins.


End file.
